Program Gives Salisbury Café Funding Support

SALISBURY – A new small business was approved to open by the Mayor and City Council during this week’s meeting, and the council encouraged other small businesses to gain from the Neighborhood Business Works Program provided by the Maryland Department of Housing Community Development (DHCD).

According to the project’s description, Alex and Erin Failaev, as well as Erin’s parents Robert and Penny Twilley, are creating Pemberton Café, located at 1100 Pemberton Drive, which will serve fresh healthy dining alternatives in a warm aesthetic setting. It will sell bread and baked goods that will be baked on site, and they will also serve coffee and tea.

Pemberton Café is located next to a lake and the vacant building is in need of minor renovations, but Erin Failaey said she hopes the café will be open by the end of this month.

“We look forward to serving the Salisbury community,” she said.

According to City Administrator John Pick, the Neighborhood Business Works Program is sponsored by the DHCD and its purpose is to provide financing for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and businesses expanding.

Eligible projects for the program are mixed-use projects combining residential and commercial uses in the same building, new construction or rehabilitation, machinery and equipment, other costs associated with openings or expanding a small business, real estate acquisition, manufacturing, service providers, and retail.

Loan amounts are up to $500,000 or 50 percent of the total project costs. The loan term is up to 15 years and a minimum of five percent applicant cash contribution is required.

Council Vice President Deborah Campbell thanked the Failaey’s for choosing Salisbury and Councilwoman Laura Mitchell said she can’t wait to visit the café.

“The council would like to encourage the small businesses of Salisbury to check out the program offered by the Department of Housing Community Development,” Council President Terry Cohen said. “It is one of those resolutions that the government would love to support.”

At the meeting, the council also approved a list of 114 bicycles to be sold at auction. The police department has acquired lost, misplaced or stolen bikes and they have been retained for over 90 days without being able to find their owners. The money received from the auction will be placed into the city’s general fund.

Police Chief Barbara Duncan encouraged residents to register their bikes with the city.

“There is no charge and it really does help in our efforts to reunite the bicycles to their owners,” she said. “Often times they are lost, misplaced or stolen and for us to be able to get them back to their proper owner rather than have to auction them off would absolutely be the better policy to follow.”

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